Las Vegas Circular 21 – A great highly recommended nature’s lover varied trip that focuses on the most beautiful national parks of the west (mainly in Utah and Wyoming) – Zion, Bryce, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Arches, Canyonlands and the Grand Canyon, in addition to Dinosaur National Monument, Flaming Gorge, the Monument Valley, Page/Lake Powell area and the cities of Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.
Day 1 – Land in Las Vegas and spend the afternoon in the city
Lodging location: Las Vegas
Day 2 – Drive to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and visit the park, 4 hours drive
(on the way to the Grand Canyon stop in Hoover Dam and if you have time – drive a portion of Route 66 and stop at Seligman)
Lodging location: South Rim or Tusayan
Day 3 – Visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and stop at sites along HWY 64 in the east part of the rim on the way to Page, in the afternoon visit the Antelope Canyon (reserve in advance) and/or hike to the Horseshoe Bend , 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Page
Day 4 – Drive to the Monument Valley and visit the valley and then drive north to Moab, 4.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Moab
Day 5 – Visit Arches National Park, 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Moab
Day 6 – Go on a half day rafting tour on the Colorado River (out of Moab) and then visit Canyonlands National Park (Island in the Sky district), 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Moab
Day 7 – Drive to Dinosaur National Monument – to Harpers Corner (circled in blue in this map) which has extraordinary scenery, and from there continue to Vernal, 5.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Vernal
Day 8 – Visit Dinosaur National Monument’s Quarry (circled in red in this map), and then drive north and add a short rafting trip in Flaming Gorge, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Flaming Gorge
Day 9 – Drive north in Wyoming and on the way stop at the small town of Thermopolis (which has hot springs and petroglyphs), 5 hours drive
Lodging location: Cody
Day 10 – Visit Cody’s wonderful museums and then drive north to Cooke City, Montana, 1.5 hours drive (or 2.5 hours drive on the scenic Beartooth Hwy)
Lodging location: Cooke City
Day 11 – Drive west through the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park to Mammoth Hot Springs and visit the springs and then drive south to the Lower Geyser Basin, 3 hour drive
Lodging location: West Yellowstone
Day 12 – Visit the Midway and Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone and then drive to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and enjoy this canyon’s wonderful waterfalls and views, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Canyon (or Lake Yellowstone)
Day 13 – Drive south to Grand Teton National Park through Hayden Valley and Lake Yellowstone, 3 hour drive
Lodging location: Jackson
Day 14 – Visit the southern part of Grand Teton National Park and enjoy activities around Jackson, less than 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Jackson
Day 15 – Drive to Bryce National Park, 8.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Bryce
Day 16 – Visit Bryce National Park and drive to Zion National Park on scenic route 9, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Springdale
Day 17 – Spend the day in Zion National Park’s Canyon and in the afternoon drive south to Las Vegas, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Las Vegas
Day 18 – Fly Home
– In order to fill this route with content – see our Southwest USA and Northwest USA destinations pages, where you can find articles that include suggestions what to do in various locations along this route.
